Reconciliation Action Plan 2021–2023

I am pleased to present the Department of Finance Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan 2021–2023.

Finance is proud to be an organisation that welcomes and values Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples both within our own department and with the businesses and organisations we deal with in the course of our work.

This is our fifth Reconciliation Action Plan and it continues to build on Reconciliation Australia’s Innovate theme. This is about implementing reconciliation by focusing on developing and strengthening relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, engaging staff and stakeholders in reconciliation, and developing and piloting innovative strategies to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples. Finance’s Reconciliation Action Plan reflects our strong commitment to these goals and sets out the steps we are taking to achieve them. Looking back at our previous Reconciliation Action Plan we achieved a number of significant outcomes including:

• increasing our ongoing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff representation from 1.8 per cent (26 employees) as at 31 December 2015 to 3 per cent (41 employees) at 31 December 2020
• engaging our first Indigenous Liaison Officer
• celebrating National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC week in innovative and engaging ways despite the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic
• publishing a cultural protocols document
• exceeding by threefold our procurement targets for engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned enterprises. This amounted to more than $12 million dollars in the 2019–20 reporting year.

Our 2021–2023 plan is equally ambitious with eight areas of focus over a diverse range of initiatives. These include continuing to support and grow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurship and business development, increasing our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols, and continuing to build connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders across the APS and community organisations.

New to this Reconciliation Action Plan is the development of a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment framework. The innovative framework will consist of a range of opportunities and pathways for recruiting, developing and retaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.

As we continue to strengthen our diverse and inclusive workplace culture, I remain committed to reconciliation and fostering mutually respectful partnerships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. These relationships provide a solid foundation for us to empower change across the Department and the public service and reflect the community we serve.

I endorse the 2021–2023 Reconciliation Action Plan and encourage you all to support and implement the initiatives to help the department in achieving reconciliation.

Rosemary Huxtable PSM 
Secretary

As the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Champion for the Department of Finance, I am proud of the measures included in our fifth Reconciliation Action Plan. The Plan demonstrates the Department’s strong commitment to reconciliation and reflects our journey to learn, grow, and make a difference.

Reconciliation is an ongoing process and all Finance employees have a role to play in helping the Department achieve our goals set out in our plan. As we reflect on our successes of our previous plans, we have paved the way to extend ourselves to make a positive, significant impact on the experiences of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues and the broader community we serve as public servants. One of the important ways we will do this will be through the focus on the attraction, development and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.

As Finance’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Champion, I am excited to continue the work of reconciliation. I encourage you to enhance your cultural understanding and knowledge as we progress our work through the 2021–2023 Reconciliation Action Plan by participating in activities on offer, joining in conversations on reconciliation and implementing change within your own teams.

Shannon Frazer
First Assistant Secretary
Productivity and Business Improvement

Finance is a central agency in the Australian Public Service (APS) and plays a significant role in many areas of government. The Department is committed to advancing public sector reform and leading the public sector in delivering excellence and value in government business. Our culture is enriched by our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Finance has four key functions that reflect our purpose statement as set out in the Corporate Plan.

• Budget and Financial Reporting
• Business Enabling Services
• Commercial and Government Services
• Governance and Resource Management

The Department aims to attract, retain and support staff from all groups in our community. We are of the firm belief that to ensure a productive and innovative department, we need to utilise the capabilities, skills and experience of people from diverse backgrounds.

As at 31 December 2020, Finance employs approximately 1,373 ongoing staff including 41 ongoing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. The majority of Finance staff are based in Canberra, with a number based in the states and territories.

The responsibility for reconciliation sits with everyone and all staff have a role to play to support this initiative.

Reconciliation is at the core of the Government’s Closing the Gap efforts. We are proud to contribute to these efforts by implementing initiatives contained in this Innovate RAP. The responsibility for reconciliation sits with everyone and all staff have a role to play to support this initiative.

Since 2008, Finance has developed a RAP to identify and implement measurable initiatives to achieve reconciliation.
Our 2021–2023 RAP has been developed in line with Finance’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation, diversity and inclusion and to continue to build a more representative and agile workforce. Our 2021–2023 RAP will build on our achievements in the 2016–2018 Innovate RAP.

Some achievements under our 2016–2018 RAP include the:

• increase of ongoing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation in our Department from 1.8 per cent (26 people) as at 31 December 2015 to 3.0 per cent (41 people) at 31 December 2020
• engagement of our first Indigenous Liaison Officer at the EL1 level
• successful celebration of National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week including our annual all staff flag raising ceremony, and
• publication of a cultural protocols document.

We have set ourselves the goal of increasing targets in all areas over the next two years. The RAP was developed through collaboration between the Finance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff Network (ATSISN), staff at the executive and APS levels participating in the RAP Working Group (RAPWG), the Human Resources Branch, senior executives and Reconciliation Australia.

After consultation with key stakeholders, and based on our experience in the previous RAP, key enhancements in this RAP are:

• a RAPWG will be maintained throughout the life of the RAP and subsequent RAPs.
  The members must represent the breadth of our business and need to include a mix of classifications
• senior executive buy-in and visibility are essential to achieving reconciliation objectives
• we will keep our senior executives engaged and regularly updated on RAP achievements and challenges, including through attendance by ATSISN members at Senior Leadership Committee meetings at least twice a year
• we will regularly report on our RAP to ensure accountability, and
• we will build cultural awareness in the organisation as an essential foundation for all other actions.

The RAP is championed by the First Assistant Secretary, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Champion

In order to help us achieve and track our progress against our eight focus areas, Part B is our action plan. This action plans aligns with Reconciliation Australia’s template for Innovate RAPs – Relationships, Respect, Opportunities, Governance.

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Acknowledgment of Artwork

The artwork provided throughout the RAP was completed during National Reconciliation Week 2015. The artwork was coordinated by Finance’s 2012 graduate, Aboriginal artist and the first Co-Chair of Finance’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff Network, Sarah Richards.

Sarah is of Aboriginal descent from the Wongaibon tribe in the Riverine area of NSW. She is a self-taught artist who enjoys spending her spare time creating her works.

Sarah’s artwork is titled ‘Reconciliation’, with the use of handprints of current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees and non-Indigenous employees, including the then Secretary of Finance, Jane Halton. It demonstrates the department’s strong commitment to reconciliation and ‘Closing the Gap’. We would like to thank Sarah for her contribution to the Finance RAP and allowing Finance to use her artwork.

Contact us

Enquiries about the licence and any use of this publication can be sent to:
Department of Finance
One Canberra Avenue
FORREST ACT 2603
AUSTRALIA

Email: corporateengagement@finance.gov.au